Letter from Mr Collins to Mr Darcy
by linsin94
Summary: A letter from Mr. Collins to Mr. Darcy on his marriage to Elizabeth.


Sir Fitzwilliam Darcy,

In our present situation, I find that I can no longer remain in contact with you, although I confess my happiness on your finding of a match, even though it is one ill-suited to someone of your rank and caliber. This severance of companionship soon to be commenced by us is regrettable, for it not only represents my own humble dissolution, but also that of the rest of your extended family, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I am sure she will never consent to your marriage with Miss Elizabeth due to her inferior rank and insolent character.

I simply cannot express the grievances suffered by your aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, of which I am quite aware. You shall never again be invited to Rosings to which my dear Mrs. Collins and I are frequent guests. Our companionship is always welcome at Rosings for Miss de Bourgh is in need of us due to your lack of deference to your late Mother's and your Aunt's wishes. She has no one else and no other prospects, although a woman as great as she is should have no trouble in finding a match, I dare say better than you. Her sadness over the situation has been unbearable and has enacted a great worsening in her health and state of mind. You have completely and irrevocably removed yourself from your own bloodline and given unfathomable affliction to your Aunt due to the complete inappropriateness in your choice of wife. I am inclined to think that it can only be your faulty disposition that could have created this rift in your family. It was your own responsibility to adhere to your Aunt's and Mother's propositions to which you inexorably rebel from. These transgressions in your character can only be a result of temperament for it cannot be from your pure bloodline, as your Aunt and Mother before you have had no such flaws. I see your plight and only wish something could have been done on my part to warn you of the heedlessness of your match before it was made, for now you have ruined your name for generations to come.

Your new connection to a family such as hers is entirely regrettable and pitiable on many parts. She is unsuitable to someone of your rank not only by the own deficiencies in her personality, but also on the improprieties of her family as a whole. By connecting yourself with her, you are also connecting yourself to Mr. and Mrs. Wickham, of whose story I am sure you are familiar with. You, of the noble blood of Lady Catherine de Bourgh are now related with gamblers and libertines who are unrightfully sharing in your wealth through your wife. The digressions of Mrs. Wickham have casted a shadow on the entire Bennet family, leaving them stuck with the consequences of her abominable crime and they now cast a shadow on your family, Sir Darcy and in turn on Lady Catherine. How any other of the daughters was able to be wed is a mystery to me. No one could want her for the sins of their sister could be taken on and modeled after by the other sisters, seeing as they have had no formal education or governess. After all, I am now quite glad I did not wed Miss Elizabeth for to be connected with her would have defiled my position as a priest and shatter my reputation which is held so highly by Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Not even just by her connection to the lewd Mr. Wickham and his wife, but also because of her brazen character.

I regret to inform you that the new Mrs. Darcy is unsuitable and must have put you under a sort of spell, for you are much too high of a caliber and much to reasonable to ever consider marrying one as low as she. I find it my duty to humbly explain to you this disaster and hope to remedy it in whatever way possible. She is impertinent, unrespectable, lowly and undeserving to belong to a bloodline and title as pure and rich as yours. My grievances on Elizabeth quite match our own Lady Catherine's which you so well know already. Her behavior to someone as high as Lady Catherine was appalling and proves nothing other than her lack of propriety towards those of higher rank. If this is any speculation to which she will soon treat you or other members of your family, I bid you good luck.

I feel I have fully expressed my opinion on the matter and shall no longer impinge your privacy. I regret to sever our friendship, but it is something that must be done to save not only my modest reputation but also that of Lady Catherine. I wish you could go back and change time my dear Sir, but you cannot and now you are stuck. This lamentable situation is nonetheless yours to live with and I shall have no more words on the subject.

I am, dear Sir, &c. &c.


End file.
